


Dead Men Walking

by shai



Category: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, POV Second Person, no spoilers for end of game cutscenes, spoilers for endgame fights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-13 07:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18936028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shai/pseuds/shai
Summary: Two men who should really be dead talk about their feelings in a field. Also, violence.("He wished for war until his final hour, and that is precisely what he got.")





	Dead Men Walking

"Hesitation is defeat," you hear as you die.

  


* * *

Isshin moves with unhurried precision and hits with the force of a giant. His every action is clearly calculated, but you can tell he isn't calm: there's a fierce light in his eyes.

You barely manage to block his ichimonji strike, and the lightning-fast follow-up gets you through the gut.

Owl hammered into you that it was folly to waste breath on words in a fight. You'll bleed out in a few seconds, though, what is there to lose? You're curious: "Why fight me? It doesn't matter if it's his last wish, you hated your grandson's plan..."

"Ha! What's the point in letting you change the world if you won't be strong enough to defend the new order?"

  


* * *

"Again, Sekiro?" Isshin asks as he once again takes his grandson's sword from him.

You take a step towards him, cautious.

You don't really understand how this dead man has come to rise again from his grandson's blood. Whatever kind of spirit Isshin has become, it seems he remembers things the Divine Heir's power makes others look past.

The tone he used was half-laughing, but it wassn't quite mockery. It's more of a challenge. A nice change of pace to teaching those tame swordsmen in his castle.

You fight better this time, but he runs you right through, the blade between two ribs. It will be a cleaner death than many.

"You fight... like a shinobi," you manage, looking up from his impassive face.

He shakes his head, the motion blurry as dark patches grow in your vision. Squats down beside you. "No. A few of the best shinobi fight like me."

  


* * *

Waking from death again, you find yourself thinking of a story the sculptor told you late one night at the temple. The sculptor wild with bloodlust; Isshin stopping him, cutting his arm off. You can believe it now. Mercy through violence. Teaching through violence.

  


* * *

You can picture how this man had lead the Ashina clan to victory. Even after decades of war, there's at least a little panic that most folks can't help at being in a life or death fight. It makes them misjudge things, makes them try to press an imagined advantage and open themselves up to a lethal attack.

Right now, killing him seems as far out of your reach as cutting down the moon. Since he stands between you and the young master, you will find a way to do it anyway.

You fight back and forth and know you'll die to him.

"You didn't... teach Lord Genichiro... your sword style," you find yourself saying. It's foolish to talk when he's shattered your jaw, but the pain will be gone when you are brought back.

"The kid thinks if he can be strong enough, he'll be able to force an age of peace." Isshin shakes his head. "You know better. You know your master's no coward to want his power gone."

Of course. You don't bother trying to nod.

"But before that, we old monsters might as well take some joy in this last dance, eh?"

  


* * *

You stay silent when you return to the fight. There is a kind of joy to be had in this series of battles: Ashina Isshin is terrifying, and there are more and more moments where you face him down unflinchingly and win an exchange, and those are glorious.

Then you land what should be a lethal blow, and instead of falling he yells something wordless and slams a spear directly into your face.

Of course the great old general had been holding back. You focus your will and resurrect yourself, and silently pray the good Doctor's healing charm will stop too much of the dragon's corruption creeping across the land.

  


* * *

"You didn't lose yourself to..." What's that word the sculptor used? "Shura. Rage," you say, crouched with a hand over the hole in your gut. You haven't let go of your sword. That lesson of Owl's had stuck.

"Are you angry?" he asks.

You don't understand the question.

"At me."

For the fact he's killed you, you slowly realise.

You think about it and can't decide. You're coiled tight with urgency at seeing the young lord bleeding. Isshin stands between you and your master: you will find a way past him. Beneath that... Every cut he makes with his sword is a work of art, and him fighting with sword, spear and gun is a masterwork. Shinobi study how to take advantage of the blinkers those who have trained in a single school too long wear. It's been a very long time since anyone was fast and calculating enough to catch you off guard the same way.

You'd have found the journey up to here far harder without learning the techniques he gave you in his guise as Tengu. And... In a twisted way, it's been an honour to see the old warlord in his prime.

You've lost sight and speech by now. You think he sees the world enough like you he can guess, though.

  


* * *

Eventually, you start to know the fight. You skip behind Genichiro with your own sword ready as he raises his mortal blade, and as he turns angrily to strike again you're there and ready for him and chasing him down with a single-minded purity of purpose. 

He stumbles and draws Isshin out from his own blood, and Isshin calls you to join battle with a joy in his voice, and the two of you dance in a sparse, elegant clash of swords. You take a hit and bleed, and so does he, but both of you know those grazes aren't enough to win or lose. And as you slowly start to gain ground against him and throw his balance off, you both know it.

You run him through, and just as he has every time before, he shakes you off like it's nothing.

You track his movement as he leaps back, quick enough to catch the sweep of his spear, wary enough not to move in for an attack of your own until he leaves an opening. The two of you circle one another like the wolves you are, darting back and forth and past and back again in a series of brutal exchanges. Water runs down your brow. His wide sleeves cling around his thin arms in the rain. Neither of you spare a glance for the storm around you.

Eventually he calls lightning down with his spear, and you get hit like a fool who forgot every lesson of the Fountainhead Palace. But you manage to block his spear as he moves to press the advantage, and next time he brings that forbidden art out you redirect it right back at him, and the fight turns back to familiar territory and you slowly realise -- you've learned. You rose to his challenge. You... won.

He kneels in seiza, the rain soaking through his clothes. 

You have rambled all kinds of thoughts at him as you bled out. You've had, you suppose, many chances to choose your final words now.

He just says 'well done'.

**Author's Note:**

> Geez, Sekiro, just say thanks to the old asshole for ichimonji and those good carp skills.
> 
> This is very self indulgent and basically not at all copy edited, but I felt like sharing my unexpectedly many feels about Isshin and his [memory/remnant items](https://sekiroshadowsdietwice.wiki.fextralife.com/Remnant:+Saint+Isshin) with the internet. And like, in general how all our sad ninja protagonist's relationships with teachers or mentors are fucked up.


End file.
